Scottish Executive

Central Heating

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3221 by Jackie Baillie on 29 March 2001, how many interim leaflets on its central heating scheme have been distributed in the Glasgow City Council area and how it plans to further publicise the scheme in this area.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-3221 by Jackie Baillie on 29 March 2001, how many interim leaflets on its central heating scheme have been distributed in the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar area and how it plans to further publicise the scheme in this area.

Jackie Baillie: The leaflet concerned has been sent to a large number of organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors throughout Scotland who have been asked to make it widely available. Thousands of copies have been distributed across Scotland and additional supplies have been arranged to meet the high level of interest in the scheme. The central heating programme will continue to be publicised through the organisations described and the Managing Agent who will deliver the programme in the private sector.

Culture

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14288 by Allan Wilson on 4 April 2001, what the status is of the proposal for a centre for the languages of Scotland put forward by the group chaired by Professor Ron Asher and how the proposal is to be taken forward.

Allan Wilson: The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland has awarded a grant to Dr Victor Skretkowicz of Dundee University for a pilot study on the languages of Scotland. Taking the proposal forward would be a matter for the proponents of the proposal.

Culture

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14288 by Allan Wilson on 4 April 2001, what the source would be of any public funding required in connection with the proposal for a centre for the languages of Scotland.

Allan Wilson: No public funding has been identified for the proposal.

Culture

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14288 by Allan Wilson on 4 April 2001, which of the actions referred to in Creating our Future, Minding our Past relate to cultural projects for which it would not in general provide direct support and in relation to which actions it has funding available.

Allan Wilson: The actions identified in Creating our Future, Minding our Past depend on a wide range of bodies, both in the public sector and elsewhere, working together within the general framework of the strategy. Overall funding for the strategy and the national cultural bodies was announced by Sam Galbraith in the course of the parliamentary debate on the strategy on 2 November last year.

Digital Technology

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minster or the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning have any plans to meet Governor Gilmore of the US State of Virginia when he is in Scotland in April to discuss digital communications opportunities.

Henry McLeish: I will be hosting a dinner for Governor Gilmore tonight at Edinburgh Castle when a range of issues of mutual interest will be discussed.

Employment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what change it forecasts in the number of people employed in the electronics sector over the next year.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not produce forecasts of employment by sector. The electronics industry in Scotland is clearly being affected by global re-structuring by the major companies, but Scotland cannot and should not compete on wage rates or work against the market. We must ensure that the industry in Scotland builds on the skills of our people and the technology of our universities and research institutes to provide high value added products and services to meet constantly changing market needs. The Executive, the electronics industry and Scottish Enterprise are working in partnership to achieve that objective.

Environment

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what preparations are being made to ensure that it is represented at the next Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister will attend the next Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 in a negotiating capacity.

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Minister currently responsible for any aspect of environment policy will attend the next Earth Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 in a negotiating capacity.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Executive attendance will be decided nearer to the Summit.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the payments made from the Scottish budget to Her Majesty’s Treasury in each year for which figures are available, specifying in each case the type of payment and the amount of the payment.

Angus MacKay: There are no significant payments made to HM Treasury other than excess Appropriations in Aid. The information in relation to these payments for 1999-2000 appears in the Appropriation Account, the publication of which is imminent.

Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the specific sources of revenue and income available to each of its core and associated departments in the latest year for which figures are available.

Angus MacKay: The revenue and income figures for each Scottish Executive core department and its associated departments are set out in the Scottish Budget Documents for both 1999-2000 and 2000-01. The audited accounts of the Scottish Executive for 1999-2000 will be available shortly.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive from which countries meat imports into Scotland are banned and whether meat is permitted to be imported into Scotland from any country in which foot-and-mouth disease is endemic.

Ross Finnie: Bans are imposed by the EU Commission as and when disease outbreaks are confirmed. As a result of the current outbreak of FMD, meat imports from three departments in France, four provinces in the Netherlands, one county in the Republic of Ireland and the areas of Newry and Mourne in Northern Ireland are banned. These restrictions are adapted as circumstances change. Meat imports are only permitted from countries or regions which are guaranteed free from FMD.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to assist voluntary organisations and charities who will lose anticipated income from fund-raising events scheduled to be held in the countryside which are cancelled due to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Jackie Baillie: The Executive’s Voluntary Issues Unit is aware of the possible effect on some voluntary organisations in Scotland of the restrictions resulting from the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and is monitoring the position.

  The Executive recognises that the voluntary sector is playing an important role in helping those most affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development therefore announced to Parliament on 5 April that there would be a scheme in Scotland to match donations by members of the public to voluntary organisations engaged in alleviating distress caused by foot-and-mouth disease.

General Practitioners

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10988 by Susan Deacon on 22 February 2001, what short- and medium-term targets it has for the number of GP surgeries to have the facility to make online hospital appointments.

Susan Deacon: As explained in the answers to questions S1W-10986 and S1W-10988, the facility to make online outpatient appointments is part of a wider range of clinical communications between primary and secondary care which form the ECCI Programme. These facilities are being implemented throughout NHSScotland in three phases. The first (lead sites) phase is currently under way and the second and third phases are at various stages of detailed project planning. It is not possible at this stage particularly in respect of the second and third phases to specify short- and medium-term targets for one specific aspect of the ECCI Programme.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from A/F Protein Inc. or from any other company involved in the genetic modification of fish and, if so, when and what issues have been discussed.

Ross Finnie: No such representations have been received by the Scottish Executive.

Government Services

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a quality mark scheme for public bodies as part of its 21st Century Government programme.

Angus MacKay: We have no plans at present to make any particular quality scheme mandatory; but we believe that the various schemes available which are aimed at raising service and quality standards (including Chartermark, Investors in People, EFQM the business excellence model, BS 5750, ISO 9000 and the Quality Scotland Awards) are all of value in pursuing our objective for 21st Century Government. We intend therefore to continue to promote their use in the public sector in Scotland.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-3125 and S1W-9076 by Susan Deacon on 22 December 1999 and 8 January 2001 respectively, whether, in the light of the report published on 15 February 2001 in the journal Thorax , it will initiate an inquiry to investigate any age discrimination in NHSiS treatment.

Susan Deacon: As announced in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change , the Chief Medical Officer is leading an Expert Group to improve the care of older people in NHSScotland’s acute and primary care services. This group will be looking at allegations of age discrimination in NHSScotland and will be reviewing all the literature in the subject, including the article in Thorax .

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all health boards provide access to anti-retroviral therapy for those tested as HIV positive.

Malcolm Chisholm: Access to such treatment will be made available, where clinically indicated, either through existing specialist services within a patient’s local health board or through contracted services from another health board area.

Hospitals

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many high dependency beds there were in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) health board and (b) acute trust.

Susan Deacon: This information is not available centrally.

Hospitals

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Greater Glasgow Health Board or have been made to it by the board regarding any shortage of intensive care beds at Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow and what action is being taken to address any such shortage.

Susan Deacon: It is primarily for Yorkhill NHS Trust and Greater Glasgow Health Board, as the local service providers, to put in place the necessary facilities to meet the needs of the local population.

  In addition, at a national level on 17 April I announced the creation of four mobile paediatric intensive care beds, each manned by a specially trained paediatric intensive care doctor and nurse, at a cost of £1.6 million. This new service will be Scotland-wide with the two teams making up the national service based in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

  This brings the total number of paediatric intensive care beds in Scotland to 24.5: 14 at Yorkhill, eight in Edinburgh and 2.5 at the Institute of Neurosciences in Glasgow. This underlines the Executive’s commitment to the model of paediatric care advocated by the Scottish Paediatric Intensive Care Audit.

Justice

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the details of DNA samples of individuals retained on file by police forces will only be those of individuals who have been convicted of a criminal offence.

Mr Jim Wallace: Only the DNA samples of those subsequently convicted of a criminal offence will be retained on file by police forces except for samples taken in terrorist cases. Under the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, other DNA samples taken from people arrested or detained by the police must be destroyed if the person concerned is not subsequently convicted.

Justice

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of cases involving dealing in class A drugs did not result in a custodial sentence in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) parliamentary region and (b) court.

Mr Jim Wallace: Figures on the number of non-custodial convictions for dealing in Class A drugs cannot, from the information held centrally, be separately identified within the total number of convictions where the main offence was the supply or possession with intent to supply drugs. The available information relates to convictions by court and is given in the table.

  Persons with a charge proved for supply of drugs (main offence), 1997-99

  


 


Total number of persons with a charge proved 
  

Persons receiving a non-custodial sentence 
  (number) 
  

Persons receiving a non-custodial sentence
(% of total) 
  



Court type 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  



Sheriff court 
  



Aberdeen 
  

74 
  

96 
  

83 
  

58 
  

63 
  

58 
  

78 
  

66 
  

70 
  



Airdrie 
  

34 
  

33 
  

33 
  

20 
  

21 
  

13 
  

59 
  

64 
  

39 
  



Alloa 
  

14 
  

18 
  

25 
  

9 
  

3 
  

12 
  

64 
  

17 
  

48 
  



Arbroath 
  

10 
  

5 
  

9 
  

4 
  

2 
  

6 
  

40 
  

40 
  

67 
  



Ayr 
  

16 
  

21 
  

27 
  

8 
  

11 
  

12 
  

50 
  

52 
  

44 
  



Banff 
  

2 
  

3 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

50 
  

33 
  

100 
  



Campbeltown 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

- 
  

2 
  

1 
  

- 
  

100 
  

100 
  



Cupar 
  

10 
  

8 
  

9 
  

3 
  

8 
  

8 
  

30 
  

100 
  

89 
  



Dingwall 
  

4 
  

6 
  

6 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

50 
  

33 
  

17 
  



Dornoch 
  

- 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Dumbarton 
  

24 
  

33 
  

28 
  

13 
  

16 
  

19 
  

54 
  

48 
  

68 
  



Dumfries 
  

43 
  

24 
  

20 
  

23 
  

13 
  

12 
  

53 
  

54 
  

60 
  



Dundee 
  

33 
  

27 
  

21 
  

16 
  

19 
  

15 
  

48 
  

70 
  

71 
  



Dunfermline 
  

26 
  

32 
  

26 
  

15 
  

19 
  

17 
  

58 
  

59 
  

65 
  



Dunoon 
  

3 
  

3 
  

5 
  

1 
  

3 
  

1 
  

33 
  

100 
  

20 
  



Duns 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

1 
  

50 
  

100 
  

100 
  



Edinburgh 
  

83 
  

147 
  

112 
  

55 
  

97 
  

62 
  

66 
  

66 
  

55 
  



Elgin 
  

20 
  

11 
  

12 
  

11 
  

9 
  

5 
  

55 
  

82 
  

42 
  



Falkirk 
  

24 
  

29 
  

28 
  

13 
  

22 
  

19 
  

54 
  

76 
  

68 
  



Forfar 
  

12 
  

13 
  

6 
  

4 
  

10 
  

5 
  

33 
  

77 
  

83 
  



Fort William 
  

6 
  

6 
  

5 
  

2 
  

- 
  

2 
  

33 
  

- 
  

40 
  



Glasgow 
  

370 
  

326 
  

357 
  

206 
  

166 
  

209 
  

56 
  

51 
  

59 
  



Greenock 
  

36 
  

45 
  

39 
  

6 
  

15 
  

21 
  

17 
  

33 
  

54 
  



Haddington 
  

4 
  

6 
  

6 
  

2 
  

2 
  

2 
  

50 
  

33 
  

33 
  



Hamilton 
  

56 
  

65 
  

46 
  

30 
  

36 
  

38 
  

54 
  

55 
  

83 
  



Inverness 
  

10 
  

30 
  

10 
  

6 
  

23 
  

7 
  

60 
  

77 
  

70 
  



Jedburgh 
  

15 
  

6 
  

4 
  

7 
  

4 
  

- 
  

47 
  

67 
  

- 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

40 
  

44 
  

38 
  

16 
  

23 
  

16 
  

40 
  

52 
  

42 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

37 
  

31 
  

31 
  

23 
  

19 
  

24 
  

62 
  

61 
  

77 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

7 
  

3 
  

3 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

29 
  

67 
  

33 
  



Kirkwall 
  

- 
  

- 
  

5 
  

- 
  

- 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

40 
  



Lanark 
  

4 
  

7 
  

8 
  

3 
  

7 
  

6 
  

75 
  

100 
  

75 
  



Lerwick 
  

- 
  

1 
  

2 
  

- 
  

1 
  

2 
  

- 
  

100 
  

100 
  



Linlithgow 
  

32 
  

27 
  

29 
  

21 
  

18 
  

26 
  

66 
  

67 
  

90 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

 


 


 


 


 


 




Oban 
  

4 
  

4 
  

4 
  

- 
  

2 
  

2 
  

- 
  

50 
  

50 
  



Paisley 
  

48 
  

57 
  

31 
  

21 
  

20 
  

15 
  

44 
  

35 
  

48 
  



Peebles 
  

- 
  

1 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Perth 
  

30 
  

51 
  

49 
  

22 
  

39 
  

37 
  

73 
  

76 
  

76 
  



Peterhead 
  

22 
  

14 
  

8 
  

8 
  

8 
  

4 
  

36 
  

57 
  

50 
  



Portree 
  

4 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  

4 
  

- 
  

25 
  

100 
  

- 
  



Rothesay 
  

2 
  

2 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Selkirk 
  

3 
  

8 
  

3 
  

2 
  

6 
  

3 
  

67 
  

75 
  

100 
  



Stirling 
  

20 
  

13 
  

16 
  

11 
  

6 
  

9 
  

55 
  

46 
  

56 
  



Stonehaven 
  

4 
  

4 
  

3 
  

4 
  

3 
  

1 
  

100 
  

75 
  

33 
  



Stornoway 
  

6 
  

3 
  

5 
  

3 
  

2 
  

4 
  

50 
  

67 
  

80 
  



Stranraer 
  

6 
  

9 
  

5 
  

2 
  

4 
  

2 
  

33 
  

44 
  

40 
  



Tain 
  

2 
  

2 
  

4 
  

1 
  

1 
  

4 
  

50 
  

50 
  

100 
  



Wick 
  

1 
  

2 
  

2 
  

1 
  

2 
  

2 
  

100 
  

100 
  

100 
  



Total sheriff court 
  

1,205 
  

1,286 
  

1,169 
  

657 
  

736 
  

708 
  

55 
  

57 
  

61 
  



High court 
  

285 
  

242 
  

297 
  

28 
  

33 
  

41 
  

10 
  

14 
  

14 
  



Other court type 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

- 
  

100 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Total 
  

1,490 
  

1,529 
  

1,466 
  

685 
  

770 
  

749 
  

46 
  

50 
  

51

Justice

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis the Lord Advocate made a Reference to the High Court of Justiciary on the judgment by Sheriff Margaret Gimblett at Greenock Sheriff Court to acquit three Trident protesters in October 1999.

Colin Boyd QC: The Reference was made on the basis of the criterion in section 123 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, namely that points of law had arisen in relation to the charges. The first 20 paragraphs of the Opinion of the High Court of Justiciary, a copy of which is held by the Parliament’s Reference Centre, make the position clear in detail.

Justice

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will appoint Assistant Surveillance Commissioners under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000.

Mr Jim Wallace: John Jeremy Fordham, Colin Francis Kolbert and Viscount Colville of Culross QC have accepted appointment as Assistant Surveillance Commissioners under section 3 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000. These appointments, which are for a period of three years, take effect from 1 May 2001.

NHS Equipment

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the issue of mismatch between expenditure on new and replacement medical equipment and depreciation of such equipment as highlighted in the Audit Scotland Performance Audit, Equipped to care: Managing medical equipment in the NHS in Scotland .

Susan Deacon: Individual health boards and NHS Trusts determine the need for investment in new and replacement medical equipment taking into account other local priorities. Health boards and NHS Trusts use both capital and revenue resources to meet equipment costs, using their own resources for smaller pieces of equipment and drawing on the central capital pool for larger, more expensive items.

NHS Staff

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will institute a review of car leasing and mileage rates available to NHSiS staff, particularly community nurses and health visitors.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive, along with the other UK Health Departments, is currently undertaking a joint review of section 24 of the General Whitley Council Handbook which covers car leasing and mileage rates for all NHS staff.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to abolish any non-departmental public bodies in 2001 and, if so, which ones.

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to merge any non-departmental public bodies in 2001 and, if so, which ones.

Mr Angus MacKay: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12267 on 25 January 2001.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the wage structure for prison officers within Kilmarnock prison during 2000 and 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The contract for HMP Kilmarnock does not require the contractor to provide details of the wage structure for staff and the SPS does not therefore hold that information.

Prison Service

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12536 by Mr Jim Wallace on 30 January 2001, what the total staff complement is for each establishment in the Scottish Prison Service broken down into uniformed staff and ancillary staff and what actual numbers are in post in each category.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The table shows the position on 31 December 2000.

  


Establishment 
  

Uniformed Staff 
  

Non-operational Staff 
  



Complement 
  

Staff in Post 
  

Complement 
  

Staff in Post 
  



HMP Aberdeen 
  

126 
  

128 
  

38 
  

36 
  



HMP Barlinnie 
  

475 
  

487 
  

131 
  

104 
  



HMP Castle Huntly 
  

52 
  

53 
  

20 
  

23 
  



HMPI Cornton Vale 
  

190 
  

189 
  

57 
  

54 
  



HM YOI Dumfries 
  

127 
  

126 
  

33 
  

32 
  



HMP Edinburgh 
  

382 
  

384 
  

96 
  

75 
  



HMP Glenochil 
  

392 
  

388 
  

82 
  

85 
  



HMP Greenock 
  

144 
  

147 
  

42 
  

39 
  



HMP Inverness 
  

84 
  

81 
  

26 
  

27 
  



HMP Low Moss 
  

131 
  

130 
  

37 
  

40 
  



HMP Noranside 
  

51 
  

51 
  

21 
  

19 
  



HMP Perth 
  

348 
  

344 
  

104 
  

95 
  



HMP Peterhead 
  

196 
  

195 
  

54 
  

43 
  



HMP Polmont 
  

275 
  

273 
  

76 
  

76 
  



HMP Shotts 
  

382 
  

366 
  

67 
  

86 
  



HMP Ziest 
  

41 
  

40 
  

5 
  

5 
  



TOTAL 
  

3,396 
  

3,382 
  

889 
  

839

Scotland Act

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-5858 and S1W-9994 by Mr Jack McConnell on 28 April 2000 and 4 October 2000 respectively, whether it is now in a position to publish the Notes on Sections to the Scotland Act 1998 and make them available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Angus MacKay: Work on the Notes on Sections to the Scotland Act 1998 has been delayed because of other high priority commitments, but our objective is to complete and publish the Notes on Sections by the end of June. Copies will then be made available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Sport

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers are available to it to ensure that awards made to football clubs by  sportscotland are used effectively, efficiently and for the purposes for which they were intended.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Ministers have the power to issue financial and accounts directions to  sportscotland as a national lottery distributor body, subject to the consent of the Secretary of State.

  Lottery programmes administered by sportscotland must include appropriate arrangements for monitoring compliance with grant conditions. Monitoring in individual cases is a matter for sportscotland whose systems and procedures are subject to internal and external audit. Lottery programmes are the only mechanisms through which sportscotland makes resources available directly to football clubs.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether lottery funding is available from  sportscotland to elite athletes who participate in non-Olympic sports or non-Olympic forms of particular sports and, if it is not, whether the arrangements disadvantage such sportspeople in comparison (a) with competitors from other countries and (b) with those participating in Olympic sports.

Allan Wilson: Awards made by  sportscotland under the Lottery Sports Fund are not restricted to Olympic sports. Athletes who are eligible to represent Scotland and the United Kingdom in any sport which is recognised by  sportscotland, jointly with the other sports councils within the United Kingdom, and who are not being funded by UKSport under the World Class Performance Programme, may apply to  sportscotland for funding under the Talented Athlete Programme. Applications are assessed on their merits against published criteria.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the level of public funding available to support Scotland’s elite athletes and the criteria used to award such funding.

Allan Wilson: The division of lottery funds is decided by the UK Government in consultation with the devolved administrations. The Lottery Sports Fund is divided by relative population size amongst Wales, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, with UKSport receiving approximately 8% for UK issues.

  sportscotland has drawn up a strategic plan, after consultation with all relevant interests, for the distribution of the Lottery monies allocated to it to 2003. sportscotland regularly reviews the criteria for funding under the Talented Athlete Programme alongside all of the policies surrounding the programme; and it has been updated and altered in order to keep athletes’ interests at the forefront. Further changes following sportscotland’s most recent review will be considered once sportscotland are able to take account of the outcome of the Elite Sport Funding Review, led by Dr Jack Cunningham MP.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support Peter Nicol was receiving from  sportscotland prior to his decision to play for England and how any such support compares with any support he is now receiving from Sport England.

Allan Wilson: In 1997,  sportscotland offered Peter Nicol an award of up to £15,000 under the Talented Athlete Programme, dependent upon financial need. He did not claim any of that award and has made no application since. Also, in December 2000, the Scottish Institute of Sport invited Peter Nicol onto their programme offering services including sports medicine, sports science and physiotherapy, and resources in London, but to date he has not accepted.

  The support available from the Squash Rackets Association, funded by Sport England’s World Class Performance Programme, includes: travel to six tournaments; accommodation and entry fees to the six tournaments; eight hours coaching fees per week for 30 weeks of the year; rehabilitation bedspace at Lillieshall, if required; physiotherapy, psychology and notational analysis services; and travel and accommodation for a personal coach at one tournament annually and seven training camps annually. Cash awards are means tested and, as in Scotland, Peter Nicol would have to demonstrate financial need to qualify.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the award of lottery funding from  sportscotland to elite athletes is tied to Olympic participation.

Allan Wilson: The Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) operated by  sportscotland is open to all athletes participating in any sport jointly recognised by all of the sports councils within the United Kingdom. One of the aims of the TAP is to place athletes onto the World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) funded by UKSport, which supports Olympic and Paralympic sports. Therefore, if the WCPP gives priority to specific disciplines these are also given priority within TAP.

Sport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assistance available, and the criteria used to award lottery funding, under  sportscotland’s Talented Athlete Programme differ from the assistance available and criteria used by Sport England in relation to the Athlete Personal Awards element of its World Class Performance Programme.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assistance available, and criteria used to award lottery funding, from  sportscotland to national governing bodies of sport to provide assistance to elite athletes differ from the assistance available and criteria used in relation to Sport England’s World Class Performance Programme.

Allan Wilson: In Scotland, athletes are supported directly from  sportscotland through the Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) to cover their programme and living costs. The governing bodies are asked to endorse applications, but the funds go directly to the successful athletes. In England, Sport England funds the governing bodies under the World Class Performance Programme for the operation of their programmes. Any cash awards, which cover living costs, are made direct to the athlete from Sport England. Applications for cash awards, like the TAP, are means tested.

Taxation

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the abolition of advance corporation tax on pension funds has had on the budgets of (a) Highlands and Island Enterprise, (b) the Accounts Commission for Scotland, (c) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, (d) the Scottish Legal Aid Board, (e) Scottish Natural Heritage and (f) the Scottish Tourist Board in each year since its introduction in July 1997.

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the abolition of advance corporation tax on pension funds has had on the budgets of (a) the Scottish Arts Council, (b) the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, (c) the Scottish Qualifications Authority, (d) Scottish Screen and (e)  sportscotland in each year since its introduction in July 1997.

Angus MacKay: No adjustments have been made to the Executive’s budgets for these organisations as a result of the abolition of payment of tax credits to pension schemes for dividends paid on or after the July 1997 budget day.

  It is well worth making the point that not all of the bodies identified in the PQs participate in, or manage, "real" pension funds. The Scottish Legal Aid Board and Scottish Natural Heritage meet their pension liabilities on a "pay-as-you-go" basis, and are therefore unaffected by the abolition of tax credits payable to pension funds.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to assist motorcyclists in making integrated journeys, including provision of interchange facilities and parking, and whether it proposes to implement a package of measures to improve the safety of motorcyclists and, if so, whether it will detail such measures.

Sarah Boyack: Officials meet Scottish motorcycling representatives on a regular basis.

  The provision of interchange facilities is a matter for the local authorities and transport operators. New powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 will enable local authorities to provide secure parking for motorcycles, thereby helping to reduce the level of motorcycle theft.

  The road safety strategy document Tomorrow’s Roads - Safer for Everyone, published last year, includes measures to improve the safety of motorcyclists throughout Great Britain. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. In addition, the Scottish Executive, through the Scottish Road Safety Campaign (SRSC), is supporting the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland "Bikesafe Scotland" initiative. Last year, the SRSC produced 2,000 Bikesafe posters for display in outlets selling motorcycles and motorcycling equipment. A further 10,000 Bikesafe leaflets were produced for distribution to motorcyclists. A set of exhibition panels to promote Bikesafe at the Bike show at Ingliston in March was also provided by the SRSC. These panels are available for use throughout Scotland. The SRSC will continue to support the Bikesafe initiative.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Accommodation

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Church of Scotland is expected to utilise the current debating chamber in the Assembly Hall for its General Assembly meeting in May 2002 and, if so, what alternative locations for plenary sessions of the Parliament are being considered.

Sir David Steel: I can confirm that the Church of Scotland will be returning to the Assembly Hall for their General Assembly in May 2002. The Parliamentary Bureau has therefore instructed that expressions of interest in hosting meetings of Parliament next year at an alternative location should be sought.

Staff Training

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer what disability awareness training is available to Scottish Parliament staff, in particular on epilepsy awareness.

Sir David Steel: The SPCB has commissioned work to produce an Equality Framework for the Scottish Parliament. The SPCB will shortly be considering the recommendations contained in the report but I understand that the framework will provide for a programme of training, including disability awareness training. We shall ensure that epilepsy awareness is included in any training programme. Officials are already considering running a series of short workshops for staff through our occupational health contract. It is envisaged that these will cover specific health conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes as well as more general topics such as stress management.

  The First Aid training provided to Parliament staff includes epilepsy awareness and how to deal with someone experiencing a seizure. In addition to ensuring that we have trained First Aiders in each of the Parliament buildings, we also provide this training to everyone who expresses a wish to undertake it. We currently have 71 staff qualified as First Aiders covering the majority of the Offices of the Parliament.

Staff Training

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Presiding Officer whether epilepsy awareness training is provided to all members of Scottish Parliament staff who are employed in the education service, the visitor centre and the security service.

Sir David Steel: I refer the member to my answer to his previous question, reference S1W-14994. I can confirm that the specific offices to which you refer each currently have qualified First Aiders among their staff and that all the staff will be included in the proposed programme of training, which will include disability awareness.